Breakaway World

The Pathfinder

Romance - Suspense
364 Pages
Reviewed on 12/07/2020
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Niles Keith was born and raised in east Texas, and has lived and worked from New Jersey to Los Angeles California. He has a broad range of interests, skills and life experiences, having worked as a carpenter, electrician, entrepreneur, minister, pipefitter, shipbuilder, salesman, and in the restoration of antique furniture and buildings. His occupations and life experiences have introduced him to many people and cultures, from inside the clean room of a microchip Fab to the Mayan ruins, Rembrandt’s home in Amsterdam, and the Dead Sea to name a few. He was once caught a stones-throw away from a riot between the Palestinians and the Israeli police, and has taken part in an ‘underground’ Christian service where it was against the law. He loves and writes nonfiction, but comes by his love of fiction honestly, with a Grandmother who wrote fiction in the 1920’s and a father who was a used car salesman and spinner of tall tales. He is a singer/songwriter and has a BA in Religious Studies/Music, and currently lives in rural southern Oklahoma, with his high school sweetheart and wife of over 40 years (same woman). His latest novel is an Adventure Romance called, “Breakaway World – The Pathfinder”, and it is the first book of the “Breakaway World” series.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Susan Sewell for Readers' Favorite

An archaeologist and an engineer unite to untangle mysteries hidden deep in the Nicaraguan rain forest in the thrilling science fiction adventure, Breakaway World (The Pathfinder) by Niles Keith. While building a road in the Nicaraguan jungle, a couple of workers stumble on an ancient monolith hundreds of miles away from the nearest Mayan ruins. Because of its location, the statue is an enigma. Dr. Rachel Reisinger, the foremost specialist in Mayan culture, flies in to research the anomaly. At the same time, Arnon LeBlanc is on a secret assignment for the CIA to scope out Anomalous Aerial Vehicles. A Chinese communist group and a Colombian drug lord already contending about antiquities in the region are interested in the newest discovery. Although their reasons differ, Rachel's and Arnon's presence are a threat to both factions. Since Rachel's quest for an ancient road is in the same vicinity as his search for AAVs, Arnon takes the job as her bodyguard and combines the two assignments. While Rachel and Arnon each seek evidence to support their own theories, their unperceived enemies plan their demise.

Breakaway World (The Pathfinder) by Niles Keith is a breathtaking and extraordinary adventure story. With an exotic setting, a courageous hero, and science fiction elements, the story is comparable to novels written by James Rollins and Michael Crichton. It is skillfully written and embodies the essentials of a best seller. Footnotes are an added and welcome bonus as they are enlightening and enhance the realism of the storyline. The only downside I could find is the story is open-ended. It concludes on a cliffhanger and left me expecting a sequel. Indiana Jones fans who enjoy action-packed adventures built on legends and myths will not want to miss this!

Romuald Dzemo

Breakaway World: The Pathfinder by Niles Keith is a novel that opens with explosive action and pulls the reader in right off the bat. The reader is immediately intrigued by the sound of a machine gun mingled with the roar of the jeep that accompanies the hunt for Arnon Leblanc. One immediately wants to know why. Archaeologist Dr. Rachel Reisinger works with Arnon LeBlanc, a freelance operative, to uncover the mystery behind an ancient Mayan monolith located far from the Mayan ruins. Why is it situated so far from the ruins? As they dig for answers, they uncover a 3000-year-old secret that is about to put their lives in extreme danger. How they handle it and the dangers that follow are plot points to make the narrative an engrossing one.

Niles Keith is a wonderful storyteller whose elegant prose will grip the reader right from the start. The descriptions are vivid and they embellish the story. I loved the idea of an old monolith and the mystery surrounding it and the author does an impeccable job in weaving an exciting story around it. Breakaway World: The Pathfinder has hints of mystery and suspense and will appeal to readers who enjoy stories filled with suspense and featuring compelling characters. The characters are well-imagined and skillfully developed. The combination of an archaeologist and a freelance operative is an interesting one and I loved how they work as a pair. Overall, this is a well-paced, emotionally rich and entertaining story. A lot of potential to entertain readers.

Jack Magnus

Breakaway World: The Pathfinder is an action and adventure novel written by Niles Keith. Armon LeBlanc was used to finding himself in tight spots, so being hunted in the Nicaraguan rainforest by angry and motivated gangsters with machine guns was all in a day’s work. What did make this assignment a bit odder than most was that he was actually hunting out UFOs at the request of the US government. They needed information on what they were calling Anomalous Aerial Vehicles. But life, even as exciting and unpredictable as it usually was, hadn’t prepared him for his next assignment. Dr. Rachel Reisinger studied all things Mayan and knew nothing had ever been discovered outside the Central American confines she was familiar with, so this Mayan find located in Nicaragua had her perplexed, skeptical and excited all at once. While only one stone had been located, she was sure there were more that simply hadn’t been discovered yet. The Monolith, as it was called, was marvelous and magical and reminded her once again why she had decided to focus her studies on the Mayan culture, but having to deal with Armon LeBlanc, the Southern redneck who had been assigned to babysit her in the jungle, was not something she was prepared to accept.

Niles Keith’s Breakaway World: The Pathfinder is fast-paced and fun and bound to keep any adventure junkie happily whiling away the hours reading this book. The premise is intriguing and original, and the twisty plot is designed to keep the armchair adventurer on their toes. Keith’s characters are deftly handled, and their odd-man-out partnership works on a number of levels. The author has obviously researched the Nicaraguan setting for his story, which keeps the adventure fresh, authentic, and exciting. Breakaway World: The Pathfinder is well-written and action-packed; it’s most highly recommended.

Trudi LoPreto

The main characters of Breakaway World: The Pathfinder by Niles Keith are Rachel, a well-respected archaeologist, and the man hired to be her bodyguard, Amon. Rachel and Amon start off on shaky ground not liking each other very much but, knowing they have to spend time together, they try to make it work. As they begin their journey into the depths of the jungle, searching for information about a recently discovered monolith, the adventure begins. They face danger from several different groups of people trying to stop them from finding the secret Mayan ruins, but they push further into the jungle and accidentally come upon a place that no one has lived in for over 3000 years. Rachel soon realizes she has found a place that will make her famous and will keep her exploring for many years with all of the treasures it holds. Amon and Rachel are pulled into a world they could never imagine and even find themselves falling in love.

Excitement, adventure, a trip into the jungle, and romance can all be found in the pages of Breakaway World by Niles Keith. As I read this book, I couldn’t help but compare Amon to the famous and popular Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt. Amon, like Dirk, always finds himself in trouble and usually with a beautiful girl. Breakaway World has the same level of adventure and I look forward to hopefully reading more about both Rachel and Amon. Niles Keith is a gifted writer; he has combined all of the ingredients in a perfect mixture for Breakaway World to be a best-selling book. Breakaway World has too much going on for me to share and ruin the suspense, so I highly recommend you put this on top of your reading list.

Lit Amri

“This was no simple Mayan ruin; as if there had ever been any such thing. And finding a previously undiscovered Mayan ruin would’ve been a major find without question. But this… this was shaping up to be something far beyond anything previously discovered.” In Breakaway World: The Pathfinder by Niles Keith, an ancient and strange Mayan monolith is discovered by accident in the Nicaraguan forest. Young archeologist Dr. Rachel Reisinger is hired to investigate and freelance operative Arnon LeBlanc joins her as her bodyguard. Personality clashes are unavoidable but they are determined to unravel a secret that holds knowledge beyond anyone's imagination. How will the duo fare especially when their enemies are hunting them down?

There’s a somewhat Indiana Jones-esque feel to Niles Keith's Breakaway World: The Pathfinder. The way the ancient Mayan and other historical references are incorporated into the story premise and molded into a new perspective to build the plot is fascinating. The short chapters deliver fast-paced reading and effectively allow more room for readers to get comfortably acquainted with different characters’ POV, time, and location. All the characters are developed in clear terms; both Rachel and Arnon are compelling as protagonists, which made their part of the story stand out more for me. The element of romance is balanced well with the adrenaline-pumping action scenes as well as the mystery of the ancients. The plot twist will definitely delight sci-fi fans as the story narrows down to the end, providing satisfying answers and results to all the conundrums and conflicts between the characters. An enjoyable read from Niles Keith.